Kale To Citrus: Eating Seasonally in the East and the West

I recently returned from Los Angeles, my hometown. One of the reasons why I love visiting LA in the winter is the bounty of crops one finds at the farmers’ market. Down in Hollywood, where we hang on Sunday mornings, farmers sell a dozen varieties of citrus, several kinds of avocados, and more greenery than I see at a New York market in the height of summer. They might have gridlock, but they sure have nice winter crops.

We had daily salads with mandarin supremes, a blood orange cake and perfectly ripe Pinkerton avocados in every egg burrito. For an eastern girl, it’s a gift to eat so well as the calendar slogs its way to the end of winter.

Meanwhile, back in New York, we’re facing the deepest darkest time for folks who eat seasonally. Aside from a few delicate greenhouse-grown greens, we’re looking at the last scrappy kale, hard root vegetables and the end of the 2010 apple crop. But these things offer their own delicious pleasures too, not to be overlooked.

With winter eating in mind, here’s a roundup of favorite recipes from The Kitchn, using the crops that are in season right this moment from East to West. Consider it a back-pocket guide through the last weeks of winter that will keep your cooking in sync with the earth.